In fifth generation (5G) wireless communication networks, it is expected that the operating frequency will include the sub-millimeter or millimeter-wave (mmW) band. Devices including transmitters and receivers are also expected to be used in multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems and massive MIMO systems, for higher density networks (e.g., in Internet of Things (IoT) networks) as well as remotely-located networks (e.g., for environmental monitoring in rural areas). For remotely-located receivers, there is a challenge in configuring the power network or to replace the receiver batteries.
There is also a challenge in providing a reference signal that is common to all receivers in the network. If each receiver uses its own reference signal, it becomes difficult to synchronize all the receivers. Further, the complexity and cost of providing a feeding network for each receiver increases with the number of receivers. For mmW receivers in particular, a feeding network can lead to high losses at high frequencies.